| Show it A I 1 m W 8 T nna fla A 11 r nit wil bri VES G 0 tais V a 13 11 REPORT OF THE DOMESTIC gart gaet sma sms ol 01 DENEES CLUB 7 ON THE CULTURE OF THE POTATO 6 the solanum tube iube tosum or common potato under general cultivation is a native of the country lying I 1 ing between lima and aud pasco in per peru u it uis nis is very common about valparaiso inhabiting steep rocky places on the cliffs near the sea and always bearing i pure white blos bios blossoms omi oma free from thep the orpie purple hue so common in the cultivated larl lari varieties etie in its native state the potao has strong luxuriant vines with many blossoms anz ana long iong straggling glin I 1 b bearing caring small tubers that are tou tough 0 1 hard bard and ind unpalatable when eaten irfan id A in improved state by cultivation inmany in many instances the looses 16 its iu in this state st sica afi varieties are called ko blowers and generally come into use early in hi the seabon season as the ash leaved kidney walnut leav ed kidney and the like varieties the idt lat lale idle varieties generally have haire blossoms and dna by culture the tuberous tube rous roua 1009 roo 9 become large mealy hand hald of good quality duality m in proportion to the adaptation ot of soil cilma climate band and culture there are two methods of pr producing the potato vi t jirs first by seed and i secondly by planting 0 apart a part oe of the tuberous ta 4 roots in the firs first t instance when the potatoes are produced deuced from seed the young ahen artt brought iba into a state of perfect on differ ery very ey e n li i ally aily in co 0 or size and qualey from the parent plant almost every seed produces a distinct variety it has therefore been a universal custom to cultivate the potato from the tb e tuberous roots in order to retain any de sired aired variety for a number of years in referring ref rel e ari ax to the above methods of producing ci t the he potato under cultivation the planting of the roots has certa certainly luly idly the precedence over that or of growing a newa tocK from heed seed reed i 4 as a more ready and profitable method to the general planter although at the same time it mav may may be fairly stated that by a continued reproduction r of potatoes from the roots is a bad system and adverse to the true principle of the retaining its primitive health and vigor sigor which cannot be naturally continued by other olber means than by raising a anew new crop erp crp epp from seed which alone contains the vital principle of continued reproduction of its natural type it s true that the roots of the potatoe will produce its like for several successive c years by a high state of cultivation and it is also clear that the roots under cultivation have their allotted time to arrive at a state of the greatest perfection and after arria arriving I 1 at that state by continual reproduce tio nth nih roots will be on a gradual retrograde until by disease and a continual decay they become almost worthless with veith the best lest cultivation n cultivation the ithe potato produces auces ances good crops of excellent roots when ur e n well weil cultivated on a soil adapted adapt erd erf to its growth in this territory indeed de ed the th ereis relis no do vegetable more local in this cou country n try ery than this useful root A rich mellow bottom soil where willows grow may be considered the best locations for the pt potato ato when stich such locations are cleared and brought to a good state of cultivation good go od crops are re generally produced for two or thre three e years in in succession in such locations the roots of the plants can freely penetrate deep into a rich cool mellow soil which is little affected by the extreme heat beat hence the roots in such places are always in a cool equal temperature the leaves roots and the like components in the soila soil are also undergoing a gradual grai graj dual decomposition and are ingredients of food tood odthe very best quality for the crop itis therefore owing to P great amount of vegetable food contained in such locations that is the cause of several successive crops of potatoes being grown to good perfection potatoes uch such locations will probably yield crops for a number of years under good management but as there Is is no crop that robs the ground of its ita favorite nutriment more than the potato it is clear that continual cropping crof is a bad system hence a good system of routine cropping should be adopted to replenish the soil with constituents wheat oats or barly will be good crops on such ground grounds and especially if tte the stubble is turned in deep in the fall and then plowed again in the spring at the time of planting on dry gravelly upland soil little can be arx expected vaen planted with potatoes for the reason thit tbt it does not contain the due portion of nutriment to insure a crop although in many instances good crops have leen been deen been produced from the virgin vir n so 8 0 I 1 when iv hen first cultivated particular y wi when n first broken in consequence of the soil decomposing and giving the proper nutria merit merib to the plants this being exhausted exhaust eds little remains in the tha ground to sustain a crop on such locations THE seen SEED eor fOR PLANTING under this head the selecting seed from the potato 3 calls dalis claims the first consideration when the object is to io obtain new varieties from seed beed the berries should be taken from a strong healthy plant of good variety they may be sown early in tha the spring and the they Qung young plants transplanted in rows twi feet apart abart and well calt cultivated in the behson season season beason r to produce prodoc the Beed seed seedling liDi roots which will be small the first season when taken up in the fall the best beat roots may be bo selected for tor planting at a bl pro proper tim time the next season for cultivation a and ir in the fall a selection may again b for another season in this way wyit it will wi often take three or fohir four year ye arato sto determine a good rood variety for fon f or seed worth general cultivation SIL irm irr arf ROOTS ANI AND PREPARING THE tue lie SETS VOR PLANTING there la isi a great diversity of opinion op nig 0 n inse inee inse electing roots and lind preparing the chests sets or r planting some tome prefer planting 1 1 the entire root small roots to large ones while whiled many ma ny contend thatis makes no difference whether the roots alfe alie large or small in cutting the sets som some e prefer to cut off the seed ends so called tuil full of eyes others leave one eye to the set while many prefer iwa wo eyes and then again many like to have many eyes these and many other arbitrary notions are advanced in preparing r the seed reducing the subject to a reio rego reasonable nabie principle it is her here cases to li lect elect good well formed roots of any variety forsted for tor seed the toots roots should possess the proper c shape chape colori color size etc of its variety it should also bs be well matured in order that the thi eyes may be string and plump and have a ful ull f ick lck healthy skin or lind to future the eye very late potatoes that are not matured have thin skins weak eyes eye s and are to be rejected small potatoes having many neah veah meak weak eyes i are also to be rejected on the same principle as seed potatoes that have been kept ke p t in n a warm cellar or any ani any anyplace place where the yes eyes e are started into long sprouts which are taken off oil from the roots are ara to be rejected on condition that a portion of starch and other constituents of the root that give life to and sup support ort tiia tila eye is in a measure exhausted mch neb which cannot be restore to nourish a second eye formed on the same root potatoes intended for seed should be kept c cool ool and retarded as much as possible from making growth until the time of 0 planting potato vine vines like all other vegetables require to be 1 started strong 0 and ard healthy when young 1 every eye of a potato when started may be compared to a young plant and the them resul tuf tuE the crop will be in proportion to the healthiness of the young plants started from the eye now when tha the I 1 oung vines a are re frozen in in a growing state scalded by the sun or in in any other way retarded in growth the crop will in a certain degree be in proportion t to 0 the healthy condition of the vines and it ia Is often owing to the above causes blat that only ollya a poor meager crop of potatoes is produced i in preparing pre iring the sets a moderate piece for the set should should be the criterion having two or three eyes very small sets are liable to become dry and shrivelled shrivel led and do not afford proper nourishment to the eye to make a strong 0 i shoot boot and the result is that small weak fibrous roots are formed from the eye at the first beginning which rarely make strong healthy plants PREPARING TIIE THE GROUND AND PLANTING in preparing the be ground the grand object tto to be kept in mind is to dig or plow deep and leave it loose and mellow for planting in in order that the roots may penetrate deep to receive the moisture and not be af fectea by hot dry wea weather thery which is so injurious to the crop of lof potatoes it is a good method to plow the ground late in the fall that the winter frost may day make it I mellow nellow and again in the spring at the time of planting PLANTING there are many opinions on the best lime time of planting some prefer planting 0 early in april others think the of imay alay a good time early planted potatoes suffer by frost after the vines vines appear above aboya the ground they are then often frozen and in this state the tops have to make a thick bunch of vines and the result often follows in a poor meagre crop the first of may blay is perhaps the best ti time me for planting the ground at that time is sufficiently warm to give the eyes a strong healthy start and it rarely occurs that the vines are injured by frost the young fibrous roots strike deep in the ground and airie fine healthy plants are generally produced there are several methods of planting the 8 ets sets some prefer planting two in a hill two or three feet ap apart art oth others ers era are in the habit babit of planting in drills irom from two to two and a half feet apart a rt and placing the tile sets from ten to twel twelve api e inches ric tie es apart in the row raw in all cases it is to be recommended that the sets ard ari are not planted too near together planting in rows two and a half feet apart and placing the sets from ten to twelve inches apart in the lows is a good system or in hills three feet each way with two sets in a hill ten or twelve inches apart the sets may be planted canted two or three inches deep and covered ea with loose mellow earth so that the young plants may come up freely aud and have a good start when the plants are two or three inches high the ground should be well hoed and keet kert loose about them to insure fine healthy vines when the vines are six or el eight g inches high they may be by dr drawing ain aln a portion of earth to the th hill or by the side ot the form a water drill to admit water to pass by the vines when irrigated irrigation maybe may be commenced when the vines have made a good growth and the tubers are beginning to f be formed it ii i i important at this time of the growth that the ground be kept loose and mols moist about the plants in order that the young potatoes make a free growth if the ground at this stame stage stape stage b becomes becomes dry andward and hard the pota potatoes toes loes will te be checked and often by the ground becoming to fd hot hoi ot so mac mae 4 nira nara mig tt ten never ae comes to perfection great caution should be taken not to ir irrigate ri the crop too soon by which th the grou ground iad is often packed close biose bec becomes 1 ont oni lei leg hard andia andla often the ca the vines being bein scalded and the is always a poor meager 0 crop or more properly no crop at all 1 selecting the varieties for seed i is s a su subject baert bjert which should leborne be borne inmond in mind in afi the cul cui culture tuie of the atoe oe too little attention is paid to this business and we vve find that almost every variety is often found in a crop of potatoes it 13 is therefore recommended that setd seed of potatoes toes be bd the fall atthe time 0 o digging up the roots at this time a atrue true varie ty y of any kin kih ind indian dc can an be chosen with the great est st certainty a and ad the tho small inferior roots can be rele rejected ted coal ashes as a fertilizer wm win leonard of south groton mass blass I 1 av gives es the following statement in in the new I 1 en england land farmer of his bis experience ce with coal e al ashes as a manure 1 i I 1 on an old mowla mowing T field top too much run down we top dressed a squat square piece fair ly w th clear coal ashes early varly in the spring while the crop was growing at all stag esthe j difference was perceptible when ready for the scythe it wa vai val mone more in quantity and as to quality it produced pro about equal equa I 1 parts of herds herda grass and r ed clover cloyer if the clover was j not introduced by the agency of the ashes we know not how hov it was introduced fot foe four foun fouti I 1 years none was wag seen there before or in any other part of the field and this was the only 1 clover seen in said field the past season both grass and clover was more vim vig vigorous orous green and lively within the top dressed square and just as visible ail all around was the exha exhausted used crop which baidas said sald as audibly as gras grasi could say in its declining state that it had bad received no such assistance from this individual fertilizers on a hillside hill bill side not at for borits its I 1 wealthy properties in soil we planted the davis seedlings and jenny lind potatoes in in I 1 clear coal ashes half a shovel full in a lii dil aill below on equally as good ground we pla pia planted anted the t ie same kinds of potatoes in compost manure and the coal ecal ashes single banded handed turned out the largest t best bast fairest and most numerous quantity ot of potatoes in reality they were I 1 the best we raised on the farm almost side by side in compost linure indri ure our potatoes tato were somewhat hat bat infected with rot tot rotain 1 the teo tto ashes they were all healthy and sound almost to a potato lampas in horses A correspondent of the germantown telegraph in a communication on the subject of i lampas in horses says i i the disease consists in a swelling of the roof of the mouth near the ibe front teeth and is sometimes higher than the teth teab it happens generally between the third and fifth year and is supposed to prevent a colt from gathering his bis food with ease so that on that account be he falls off in feeding and consequently in in alesa or condition the usual remedy is to se sear arthe the parts next the teeth is with ith lih apiece of iron made for tor the purpose or cut the parts until they bleed freely these remedies are still genera ly I 1 practiced rac tied nor is it possible I 1 believe for veterinary hary surgeons lo 10 prevent its being done the lampas as it is called however is not the cause of the colts ceasing to feed well ani and falling off in flesh it depends upon his cutting the grinding teeth at the proper time and if instead of burning and cutting lutting the lampas a m as they term it they would keep him ei tirel on bran mashes for a week he would he be xie able abie to eat his hay bay and corn with avidity for the stomach which always sympathises sympathizes with the mouth in the painful periods of den brition tri trl tion is quickly restored when the power of mastication returns we often fin I 1 when tie tle tl e lampas is present tha t the me |
